Nebraska Football: Bo Pelini Will Struggle Getting Along in the Big Ten

Dear Big 10 Commissioner Delaney & Mark Silverman, President of the Big 10 Network:

Since your last visit to Lincoln, we've had a few problems crop up. 

Before I begin, let me say how excited I am that the University of Nebraska is joining the Big 10, and most of the credit goes to you and your staff. Job well done. The day Dr. Tom Osborne and Chancellor Harvey Perlman stood at the podium to make their membership official was one of the most exciting days in Big 10 history. For me personally, even more exciting then Penn State.

Fast forward—just a wee-bit of concern that you need to be aware of. 

The University of Nebraska's head football coach, at times, makes Woody Hayes look like a Buddhist monk. You see, Bo Pelini has an anger management issue. 

Dealing with anger management at age 15, 20, even 30 years of age would be a pro-active step towards better handling intense issues. Unfortunately, he's at an age where there's little hope for that. Plus, the Husker coach has a couple of standard responses when pushed: "It is what it is, or get over it."

By chance, did you see Pelini meltdown Saturday night on national TV? As a former player at Ohio State and grad assistant at Iowa, I'm not fully convinced Coach Pelini understands where he came from. Bet then he has another standard response for that: "I don't care."  Grant it, he has other issues on his plate. I doubt he's thought much about the Big 10 Conference at all. 

But the clock is running and his days in the Big 12 are quickly coming to an end. So, now would be as good as time as any to send a message to Nebraska's Chancellor Harvey Perlman & A.D. Tom Osborne that the Big 10 does not and will not tolerate that kind of behavior. As commissioner, we know you won't hesitate to point your powerful office directly at Lincoln and suspend Mr. Pelini. After what happened last Saturday, it frankly shocks me he hasn't been suspended for Friday's Colorado game.

Pelini has had to apologized for his behavior before and Monday was no exception. He went to his press conference and gave his standard "I'm sorry. It won't happen again and I'll work harder to make sure it doesn't happen again, blah, blah, blah."

Saturday, I was sitting on the floor of Kinnick, watching my Hawkeyes meltdown again in the fourth quarter. But as I was looking at Kirk and SweaterVest boy, I couldn't help thinking to myself, "Are there two classier coaches in college football?" 

After the game, we made it back to our tailgate, had a few more cocktails and proceeded back to the hotel to watch the Nebraska game. One of my Husker pals was along with me and he sat quietly through out the game. I knew what he was thinking: "I just watched a Hall of Fame coach from Columbus and a very good coach in Iowa City. Both class acts."

He immediately went back to his room after the Husker game, never saying a word. Just shaking his head—embarrassed to no end.

Mr. Silverman, make sure you have every available camera pointed directly at Bo Pelini next fall. Mr. Delaney, have your suspension papers ready. I gotta feeling your going to need them.

Michael Rodriguez
Sioux City IA
On Iowa and Go Hawks